Separator



Patented June 3, 1924.

EDWIN W. SHEPHERD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SEPAR-A'IOR.

Application filed may 15, 1922. Serial No. 560,928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN W. SHEPHERD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful 1m rovements in Separators, of which the ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in battery separators for separating the positive and negative plates of a stora e cell.

Wood separators have hereto ore been used for this purpose, as have also separators made of rubber, the wood separators, however, being preferred from an economical standpoint. The present invention contemplates an improvement in the wood separators whereby the wear-resisting qualities thereof will be increased, and one of the chief objections to such separators as heretofore used thereby overcome.

As is well known, the positive and negative plates of a storage cell oftentimes warp or buckle in use, which causes them to bear upon certain portions of the intermediate 28 separators with increased pressure. This produces wear upon the separators, and, when the latter are made of wood, the wear is rather pronounced, especially in cells used in vehicles, where relative movement of the plates occurs practically all of the time the vehicle is in motion.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a wood separator having means incorporated therein for reducing this wear to a minimum, and thereby greatly increasing the life of such separators.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein one form of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a separator constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional View, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawin the separator, according to the form of t e invention illustrated, comprises a thin sheet of wood 10, one side thereof being grooved longitudinally, as at 11, to provide for the circulation of the electrolyte, as will be readily understood. Embedded or fitted in the two outer grooves 12 and the central groove 13 are strips of wear-resisting material 14. These strips may be formed of the material commercially known as vulcanite, or, if desired, may be made of any other insulating material having wear-resisting qualities.

It has been found that the life of woo separators constructed in accordance with the present invention is greatly prolonged. Obviously, the exact position and number of the wear-resisting strips may be altered without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For instance, the central strip 14. may be omitted, and, again, if desire strips or pieces of the wear-resisting material employed may be positioned transversely of the separator. Also, if desired, the strips or pieces 14 of wear-resisting material may be mounted or secured to the separator without embedding the same in grooves or the like. Still another possibility is the forming of the wear-resisting elements in the shape of blocks or short sections, these being secured to the plate at the corners thereof and at various other points, if desired, and either embedded therein or otherwise attached thereto.

It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit of the same; and it is therefore not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form and construction shown, except as appears in the appended claims.

I claim 1. A separator for storage cells comprising a grooved sheet of one material and strips of another material secured thereto and extending from end to end of said sheet.

2. A separator for storage cells comprising a sheet of one material grooved from end to end and strips of another material secured incertain of said grooves and extending throughout the length of the latter.

3. A separator for storage cells comprising a grooved sheet of wood and wearresisting material secured to one face thereof.

@ me es 4. An insulating separator for separating ing wear-resisting strips embedded in one the positive and ne ative plates of a storage face thereof. cell, comprising a s eet 0 wood, and wear- 6. A separator for storage cells comprisresistin strips secured thereto adjacent its ing a sheet of wood and strips of vulcanite 5 longitudinal edges and coextensive with the secured thereto to resist wear.

latter. In testimony whereof, I have subscribed 5. A separator for storage cells com rismy name.

ing a thin sheet of insulating material av- EDWIN W. SHEPHERD 

